


There Are More of Them

by avulle



Series: Cultural Differences [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora comma Freak, Catra comma Freak, Crack, Featuring, Gen, JUST, Kyle comma Human String Bean, Lonnie comma Freak, Micah comma Confused Dad, Rogelio comma Best Boyfriend, S5 spoilers, among other things, of the stupidest nonsense, so much more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24450742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avulle/pseuds/avulle
Summary: When Glimmer agreed to Scorpia’s suggestion that she take the thirty best-behaved Bright-Zonians to Brightmoon for a peace banquet and also a peace sleepover party, she didn’t.She didn’t think it through.She did not fully understand the consequences of her actions.She is filled with.Such regret.
Relationships: (technically) - Relationship, Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Series: Cultural Differences [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765951
Comments: 63
Kudos: 262





	There Are More of Them

**Author's Note:**

> The sequel no one asked for! You probably want to read the [previous fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24309919) although it's possible this makes sense without that one as context. The more likely alternative is that it doesn't make sense, regardless of whether you've read the previous fic or not.
> 
> I would also like to start by saying that if your name is Ariel I think your name is great and you are also great by extension.  
> Just, like, thought you should know.  
> No reason.  
> Don't worry about it.
> 
> S5 Spoilers, watch out!

So.

When Glimmer agreed to Scorpia’s suggestion that she take the thirty best-behaved Bright-Zonians to Brightmoon for a peace banquet and also a peace sleepover party, she didn’t.

She didn’t think it through.

She did not fully understand the consequences of her actions.

She is filled with.

Such regret.

Where to start?

Oh.

Where to start.

So.

Starts fine.

I mean.

Not  _ fine  _ fine.

The best-behaved Bright-Zonians are definitely still soldiers who killed the friends and family of her ministers and guards.

And her guards are definitely soldiers who killed the friends (and family... if that’s a thig in the Horde? Glimmer’s never been totally clear on that) of the Bright-Zonians.

So like, there is immediate strife.

But, like.

She’s there.

Scorpia is there.

Adora is also there, wearing her outfit with the old Horde Wings.

Catra is there, but…

That doesn’t actually seem to be helping.

It’s cool.

Totally cool.

It’s fine.

Glimmer is Queen.

She figured out in advance who had killed whose friends and family, and she successfully devised a seating arrangement which does not place friends and family killers at the same table.

Right?

Glimmer doesn’t want to brag.

But she’s pretty good at this queen thing.

Her dad is very impressed.

He tells her she’s doing great a lot.

Like, probably too much.

He should probably.

He should probably spend less time hugging her and telling her how great she is.

But whatever they’re both lonely hugging is important okay?

Glimmer doesn’t need your judgement.

Glimmer gives a speech about peace.

Very queenly.

Scorpia gives a speech about peace.

She is also.

Very large.

Very nice.

Very queenly.

Done.

Problem solved.

Fast forward.

Banquet.

Lonnie, Adora, Kyle, Rogelio, and Adora are at a table together.

She and Bow and her dad are also at this table.

( _ You’re speech was really great, honey _ , her dad told her.)

(Because he’s the best dad.)

(Not that she was worried about not being able to live up to his and her mom’s legacy of like super-inspiring peacefulness or anything.)

(It’s not like she’s always wanted her dad to tell her how proud he is of her.)

(No.)

She sits down, she looks across the table, and she sees Adora and Lonnie leaning across Catra, chatting in low voices and she thinks to herself.

_ Oh no _ .

_ I may have made a horrible mistake _ .

And sure enough.

“Did you know,” Adora says, “you have to take showers alone in Brightmoon?”

Because apparently her and Lonnie are totally friends again?

When did that happen!

Lonnie makes a face.

Shakes her head a bit.

Like.

_ Nahh _ .

_ No one’s that weird. _

But Adora makes a little head nod.

(Throwing her Best Friend under the bus!)

(We’re best friends, Adora!)

(What is this!)

Lonnie checks with Catra, and like.

Their faces are like inches apart.

All of their faces.

So close.

Breathing each other’s air.

Lonnie's head-shake hit Catra in the head a bit.

(Which Catra is apparently cool with?)

(Apparently just doesn’t even register?)

(Not like it took like a month before she’d let Glimmer hug her!)

(But apparently accidentally whacking her in the face with your face!)

(Totally cool.)

To be clear.

Glimmer is not inherently opposed to that distance.

It’s just.

That’s not a  _ Hey did you know? _ distance.

That’s a hugging distance.

That’s a kissing distance.

It’s a  _ sometimes _ distance.

However, as Glimmer is taking psychic damage.

Catra confirms with a roll of her eyes.

Slowly, so slowly, Lonnie’s head turns to her.

And just.

It is like she is looking at someone who puts mud on their pizza.

Such.

Confusion.

Such.

Bewilderment.

_ What is this creature? _ Lonnie’s eyes say.

_ How does it… survive _ .

Glimmer feels a gaze from her left, and there is Kyle.

Human string bean.

Same face.

And Glimmer just.

Glimmer just cannot.

But.

But.

She has forgotten.

Such a crucial piece of information.

That information?

Her father is sitting right next to her.

His mouth opens, and Glimmer is not fast enough to warn him of the danger.

“Do you take showers together in the, uhhh—Bright Zone?”

Dad, noooo.

No.

You can’t.

You can’t engage.

That is giving them what they want.

That way lies nothing but suffering.

Glimmer thought he understood.

Because of their shared trauma of staring in each other’s eyes while Adora brought Catra to a screaming orgam within earshot.

But no.

He must have thought.

_ This is abnormal behavior. _

_ I have happened upon Catra and Adora at a particularly bad time _ .

But nooo.

Dad, noooo.

This is always.

They are always like this.

The Bright-Zonians look just.

So confused by the question.

“But,” Kyle, human string bean, says. “But what do you do?”

Everyone looks at Adora, like she’s a Horde-Brightmoon translator.

But no.

No.

Glimmer.

Queen of Brightmoon.

Has not approved of this.

Adora cannot be trusted.

“Count the shower tiles?” Adora offers.

You wash yourself!

It is a shower!

You are in it to do a job!

You have.

Only the one job!

Once you’re done, you can come out!

It isn’t prison!

It ends whenever you have completed your job!

“Jerk off,” Catra adds helpfully, and.

Glimmer makes eye contact with Catra.

Catra is no longer probationary best friend.

Catra is best friend best friend.

This means Catra is capable of participating in best friend telepathy.

_ Catra. _

_ Catra. _

_ We’ve discussed. _

_ The things that are allowed to be said in front of my father. _

But Cata just!

Looks away!

Pretends she does not hear Glimmer.

Such.

Treachery.

“Why do you need to be alone for that?” Lonnie asks. 

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

“You  _ can _ do it alone.”

Glimmer’s father has fallen silent.

His face his pondering, and his eyes distant.

Almost as if he can see something far off in the distance.

Perhaps.

Perhaps a better world.

A world in which you are not so cruelly betrayed by two of the people you thought you could trust most.

Or.

Or perhaps.

Perhaps he has fallen unconscious.

Maybe.

Maybe he does not hear any of this.

Yes.

Glimmer decides she will believe this.

Yes.

“True,” Lonnie agrees. Then she smirks, and oh no.

Glimmer can feel it coming.

Just some.

Massive wave of—

“Remember when we had a race, like, two years ago.”

“I didn’t agree to that race,” Catra says immediately.

“That’s only because Kyle won.”

“If Kyle can win that means it’s invalid.”

“Hey!” Kyle interrupts, while Lonnie and Adora both kinda shrug in understanding.

“Hey!” Kyle repeats himself.

Rogelio pats him comfortingly on the back.

“I got second, though,” Adora says. “Even if Kyle did get first.”  _ Hey! _ “I feel like it should count.”

“Nobody ever counts second, Adora.”

Adora pshes.

“I count second,” she mutters. “I was close, too.”

Glimmer.

Glimmer takes a deep breath.

She looks to Bow for assistance, but he is already gone, staring glassy-eyed into his plate.

Slowly, mechanically moving an empty fork from his empty plate to his mouth.

She can see behind his eyes, the endless fields of grain he is imagining dancing through.

She is alone.

Alone, in a sea of Horde.

No one will come to save her.

She turns to her last bastion of hope.

Adora.

Best friend telepathy.

_ Adora _ .

_ Adora _ .

Adora, because she is not a bad friend, does not ignore Glimmer.

_ Adora please. _

_ Help _ .

Adora nods.

_ I got you _ , her face says.

Hm.

Does she, though?

Glimmer feels like she doesn’t.

This last boat of hers is feeling.

Awfully rickety.

“Did you know,” Adora says, interrupting the talk of who can come the fastest.

“Did you know they also don’t talk when they’re pooping. They’ll just—stop a conversation, like, mid word. Whoops, gotta go poop.”

Adora twitches her eyebrows at Glimmer, like.

Look at me.

Look at how helpful I’m being.

Glimmer resists the urge to bury her face in her hands.

Catra turns to Adora.

Like she has to check that something so ridiculous could be true!

Like!

Glimmer takes a deep breath.

Lonnie makes that face again.

_ Nahhh. _

“What do you do, just… stare into each other’s eyes while you poop?”

Those aren’t.

Those aren’t the options! 

That’s what doors are for!

“That definitely seems worse,” Kyle says, because Glimmer is.

Surrounded.

All sides.

What a horrible decision this had been.

Why had she placed herself in a majority-ex-Horde table.

“Do you not… have stalls?”

Her father.

Her father has returned from the paradise he had vanished into.

In which best friends do not betray each other.

Because he has not yet learned the only way to win is to not engage.

There’s an exchange of glances.

“All the toilets in Brightmoon are in their own, like, little rooms,” Adora clarifies.

See.

If Glimmer hadn’t been through this before.

She might have had the mistaken impression that Adora is on her side here.

But no.

Glimmer has been burned before.

“That seems really space inefficient,” Kyle says and there!

Look!

See!

Adora is nodding.

She’s making a sad face.

Look at this.

Betrayal.

“What happens when the whole complex comes back after a day of training? How do you have enough toilets?”

Adora nods.

Sadly.

So sadly.

“They don’t,” she says, like it is breaking her massive sometimes-She-Ra heart.

Gasps.

“They make you wait.”

Further gasps.

Just.

So horrified.

All eyes turn to Glimmer.

Like she’s a bad friend!

She knows it’s a mistake, but she cannot help but defend her honor.

Glimmer is a great friend.

“We take turns! Sometimes Adora goes first! It’s not always me!”

Silence.

Dubious glances.

Checks with Adora.

_ Can we trust this woman? _

_ She looks… _

_ Suspicious. _

Adora confirms but only like.

Really hesitantly.

Another round of consideration.

“But,” Lonnie says after the consideration. “You’re the queen. You could make there be more toilets.”

This!

This isn’t a real problem!

There are enough toilets!

Nobody explodes because they have to wait a little bit!

They can run to another bathroom!

This isn’t a real problem!

The ex-Horde contingent is still kinda looking at her like.

_ She talked peace and everything but. _

_ This is a woman who makes people wait before they can poop _ .

It is perhaps.

The most hurtful look.

Glimmer has ever received.

Glimmer takes a deep breath.

She prays to whatever gods are left for rescue.

“Hey, what’s everyone talking about?”

Scorpia.

Beautiful, smart, nice Scorpia.

Scorpia has arrived.

“Apparently in Brightmoon they make you wait in line to poop,” Lonnie says.

And Scorpia is just.

Aghast.

Update:

The Gods are dead.

“I’m sure,” she starts, and then stops as if the idea is just. Too horrible to contemplate. “I’m sure there’s been some kind of misunderstanding.”

She looks to Glimmer.

A look that says.

_ I really appreciate out alliance. _

_ I understand we are different. _

_ But there are some things that are just a bridge too far. _

Glimmer.

Glimmer might just die.

But it’s Adora who speaks up in her place.

“It’s not as bad as you think,” she says.

And then she looks Glimmer in the eye.

And her look says.

Look at me.

Look at what a good best friend I’m being.

Look at how understanding I’m being.

Glimmer can see the lie in her eyes.

If this bothered her so much they can just like!

Let her poop first or whatever!

Holding it is not!

Deep breaths.

Whatever.

Eventually.

Eventually everyone moves on.

The alliance remains.

And Glimmer thinks to herself.

The worst is over.

This may have cost her like a good ten years of her possibly immortal life.

But.

The worst is over.

(Ha.)

(Ha.)

So.

Fast forward.

After the banquet.

Glimmer is.

Taking a little walk.

You know.

Nice relaxing walk.

Through  _ her  _ palace.

It’s very nice.

Very pastel.

Very soothing.

No one looking at her like some kind of axe murderer because sometimes lots of people need to poop and therefore some of them have to wait!

Nope.

No one looking at her like that.

But.

But.

In her state, she makes a grave, grave error.

She accidentally wanders into the wing in which they are housing the Bright-Zonians.

But.

When she does realize it.

She makes an even graver mistake.

I can just walk out, she thinks.

No need to rush.

No need to say.

Teleport.

Noo.

So she turns around and bam!

There’s Lonnie, opening the door to her room.

Just.

Super naked.

Well.

Not quite.

_ Totally  _ naked.

She’s wearing towel.

Around her hair.

Nowhere else.

Just the hair.

Lonnie.

Why.

“Oh, Glimmer,” she says. “Hey. You happen to know where we could find a shower?”

She’s wet.

Glimmer waits, fear in her heart.

And sure enough.

After Lonnie come Kyle and Rogelio.

Holding hands.

(Which actually.)

(Pretty cute.)

(Ten out of ten.)

100% naked.

No towels in sight.

Very naked

Very wet.

(Not cute.)

“These idiots started making out in the shower, and Rogelio broke that weird glass thing you have around your shower with his big stupid tail.”

Lonnie jerks her hand over her shoulder to jab at Rogelio as he grunts in protest.

With that jerk.

Just.

Many things move.

Well.

Mostly two things.

Glimmer cannot look away as they heave up, and then fall back down again.

She processes the words.

And just.

So many problems.

Just.

Problems upon problems.

For example.

Suppose, as a baseline, Kyle and Rogelio together shower as you know.

Sure.

They’re boyfriends.

V cute.

Sure.

Question.

Why are you also wet and naked?

Were you just.

There’s only the one head.

Were you just.

Standing there.

Next to them?

While they made out?

“Also your showers are tiny! I totally thought that you just made people go in normal-size showers all alone.”

Hm.

Hmm.

Yes, the showers in Brightmoon  _ are  _ normal size.

They fit one person.

They are single-person use showers.

You can fit two if you want to get a little frisky.

Have some fun.

But.

Glimmer cannot emphasize this enough.

They are normal sized showers!

“I guess it makes it a little less egregious you make people use them alone.”

See.

They keep using this word.

Make.

Glimmer does not.

Make.

People shower alone.

They just do!

That is the natural showering state!

This isn’t weird!

Glimmer takes a breath.

She is a Queen.

This is a peace summit.

She understood there would be problems.

And sure.

Now she knows what Lonnie and Kyle and Rogelio look like naked now.

And sure.

History has told her she will just.

Never.

Never ever be able to forget just.

All of the details.

But.

It’s fine.

Glimmer is a Queen.

Very calm.

Very collected.

She just needs.

She just needs an adult.

“One moment,” Glimmer says holding up a hand.

“Sure, we’re not going anywhere.”

If you’re not going anywhere, why are you just!

Nope.

Nope.

Adult first.

She teleports to her and Bow’s room.

Finds that he has abandoned her.

Alone.

Leaving her nothing but a note that says:

_ Please, no _

Take two.

“Why did you bring Catra and Adora?” Lonnie asks, still just.

Super naked.

Glimmer doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Glimmer gets nervous around naked people,” Adora says in her understanding voice.

Glimmer.

Does not.

Get nervous around naked people.

She just.

Would really rather have conversations while everyone’s wearing clothes.

“I mean, only way to fix that is with practice, right?”

“We’re working on it.”

They’re not.

They have shower parties sometimes.

But they are not working on it because it is not a problem!

“I heard you idiots broke your shower?” Catra chimes. “ _ Nice _ .”

Catra.

Catra.

Stop.

“We’re on our third.”

Glimmer grinds her teeth.

Adora has a big shower.

You have no excuse.

“We can take you to ours but it’s really not big enough for six?” Adora says.

So.

Two problems.

Problem one.

Why is the number not three?

When did you decide that all five of you were going to have a shower party?

Problem two.

And this is the bigger problem.

Glimmer is not.

Having a shower party.

With Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio.

No.

That is a.

That is a best friend compromise.

Non-best friends are not allowed to participate in best-friend-compromise shower parties.

“What, hell no,” Catra says. “I already took a shower this week.”

That’s a stupid reason, but Glimmer doesn’t care.

She teleports behind Catra and wraps her arms tightly around Catra.

She has an ally.

She is not alone.

Catra hisses at the sudden physical contact but that’s just her way of expressing affection.

“Me and Catra can just… wait here.”

Catra hits Glimmer’s face with an ear, but Glimmer is not deterred.

They are allies.

Adora, however, makes a sad face.

“Catraaa,” she says, puppy dog eyes in effect as she just starts.

Just starts to taking her clothes off.

All of the progress they had made.

Teaching Adora that hallways are not naked places, just.

Gone.

Up in flames.

In an instant.

“Please?”

Glimmer can feel Catra start to cave.

“Be strong, Catra,” she says.

Catra slowly turns her face back to Glimmer, and a smirk spreads across her lips.

Glimmer gets the feeling she may have.

Chosen poorly.

“Well. We can’t say no to that face. Can we, Glimmer?”

Glimmer raises her eyes and finds herself faced by naked Adora puppy-dog eyes.

Because the gods are not just dead but are haunting Glimmer from beyond the grave, she hears a very familiar voice from behind her.

“Oh, Glimmer, I was just—“

Silence.

Glimmer teleports to her father, and then teleports him to Dryl.

She holds a finger in front of his face.

“Stay,” she says.

“Why,” he says, eyes glassy. “Why were they just—“

“Entrapta!” Glimmer calls out into the metal cave. “Don’t let my dad leave until I come get him!”

A purple thumbs up emerges from the mountain of debris.

Her father is still staring, unseeing, over Glimmer’s shoulder.

“Bye dad, I love you.”

He does not respond, gaze vacant.

She returns to Brightmoon, and finds an empty hallway.

Never has an empty hallway inspired more fear.

“Adora…?” she asks the empty hallway.

“Out here!” Adora says from.

Outside the building.

Which is funny.

Because Adora’s clothes are still on the ground before her.

As are Catra’s.

Glimmer takes a moment.

Deep breath.

Another deep breath.

She teleports to her room.

Hugs a stuffed animal.

Recharges a bit.

_ Then _ she teleports to the courtyard Glimmer had heard Adora’s voice from.

What waits for her is.

Truly.

Unspeakable.

Where did she go wrong.

Was it in inviting the Bright Zone to Bright Moon?

Was it trusting Adora and Catra to be reasonable?

Was it in ever believing in truth, or justice?

She feels like it’s the last one.

But the jury is still out.

“Glimmer!” Adora calls out from the East Fountain. “What took you so long?”

Brightmoon is a land that likes its luxury. The rooms are big, the beds are soft, the showers are searingly hot.

It does not, however, like its luxury so much the water fixtures are heated.

Many questions.

Are they.

Are they taking a shower in the fountain?

If they are.

Why?

Why are they taking a shower in the fountain?

Also.

Where did they get the shampoo?

Glimmer tries to push the thoughts out of her head, as she has learned that nothing good comes from asking questions.

“Feels like home!” Adora says, perhaps after she realizes that Glimmer is not in a state in which she is capable of answering such questions.

“Oh yeah, sure missed cold showers,” says a very wet and irritated Catra, her tail sticking straight out behind her. It would be super cute if she were not just so naked. “So glad we get to have a cold shower again.”

Glimmer cannot help but recall.

Against her will.

The conversation during the banquet.

In which they discussed a certain competition, that occurred in the shower.

Implying that they.

That they were able to participate in this competition.

While taking  _ cold _ showers.

Yet more proof that new knowledge leads to nothing but suffering.

“Glimmer can probably use her magic to make it warm. Right, Glimmer?”

Glimmer jerkily summons a magic circle, and warm-ifies the water.

“Oooh,” there are pleased noises from all about the fountain.

“That’s nice.”

“I like that.”

Because of course it’s not just Adora’s ex squad in the fountain.

It’s all thirty of the new so-called “best-behaving” Bright Zonians.

(Glimmer is filled with doubt about how “well-behaving” they really are.)

It is a big fountain.

It is not  _ that _ big of fountain.

They’re all crammed in, wet naked skin on wet naked skin, laughing and talking and sometimes moaning.

“Come on!” Adora says, darting out of the fountain and catching Glimmer’s hands in hers. 

Off to the side, Glimmer sees Perfuma.

Invited as Scorpia’s partner.

Also in the fountain.

The one person she thought she could trust.

Spinning and laughing.

Naked.

(Yep, she sure will never be able to forget that.)

“Oh, I like this a lot! This is nice!”

How dare.

She and Scorpia kiss and the people around them wolf-whistle.

“Glimmer, please.”

Ah yes.

Naked Adora puppy dog eyes.

She meets Adora’s puppy dog eyes.

Looks at her very beautiful face.

“Adora, I want you know that I love you. You’re great, and super strong and super nice and I love you just so much.”

She takes Adora’s face in her hands, while Adora smiles sheepishly at the compliments.

“But honey, no.”

Adora blinks.

Her lower lip wobbles.

Be strong.

Be strong, Glimmer.

“Bow said he wanted to shower with me tonight okay bye.”

She flees.

After she is safe.

In her own room.

Nobody naked in sight.

She thinks to herself.

If she were Bow, and she wanted to escape the inevitable nakedness that would result from 30 ex-Horde soldiers gathering in the same place, where would she be?

Well.

She would start by being super cute and super nice and super hot.

Glimmer flexes in the mirror, and satisfied with her Bow impersonation, thinks—

Oh.

She teleports to Bow’s room at his fathers’.

He looks up at her.

Has the decency to look guilty.

“I’m sorry?” he says.

“Not good enough,” Glimmer says, and spreads her hands expectantly.

He rises from his bed, and wraps his arms around her.

“I love you,” he says, and his embrace is so warm and so soft.

Glimmer sags into it.

“I love you, too,” she says.

She sags a little bit more into it.

“We have to take a shower together,” Glimmer tells him, after she has had time to heal.

“Uh,” he hesitates. “Why? I mean, sure, but why?”

“I promised Adora.”

Bow asks no further questions.

He  _ understands _ .

(She has not yet forgiven him for abandoning her.)

(But she’s starting to.)

Their shower is interrupted by Bow’s tablet ringing.

They are otherwise occupied, but his tablet does not stop ringing.

“Sorry,” he says, while Glimmer frowns and harrumphes.

He answers the call.

“Hi I’m kind of—”

“Is Queen Glimmer there?”

“Uhh.”

“ _ Please _ , there are naked people in the East Fountain and none of my calls to her are going through.”

Bow blinks.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Glimmer elbows him out of the way.

“Is anyone dead.”

“Uh, no? Some of the guards are joining them, though.”

See.

Glimmer didn’t ask for additional information.

She really.

She really didn’t need it.

“No fights?”

“Some people seem to be having sex. In the fountain.”

Again, not what Glimmer asked.

“Why are they taking a shower in the fountain,” Ariel (the head of Glimmer’s guard) says, voice scared.

“Alright, bye.”

“Wait, Queen! Please.” Ariel hesitates. “Please don’t make me go back there.”

_ Better you than me. _

Bow’s hands on her shoulders stop her from saying it.

“Hi,” he says.

“Is that a shower?” Ariel asks, sounding increasingly distraught. “Oh god.”

Bow turns off the shower, and Glimmer grumbles.

“It was just raining,” he lies.

Ariel’s silence speaks volumes.

“So, no fights, right? Nothing that would threaten the peace?”

“There’s so many of them. They’re all touching each other.”

“Ariel,” he says. “I know this is hard.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s hard,” she says, voice strangled.

Which.

Wow.

Bow takes it in stride.

“Ariel,” he repeats.

“Yes, Queen Consort Bow.”

Bow makes a face at being called Glimmer’s boytoy.

“Is Adora uhhh, participating?”

“Yes,” she says, and she sounds like she’s about to cry. “She’s turned into She-Ra and she’s so big and so naked and oh Gods—”

“Okay. In that case, just leave. It’s fine. I give you—” he seems to realize he cannot give permission.

“I give you and all the other guards permission to leave bye.”

Glimmer hangs up.

Bow looks at her, eyebrow raised.

“You could have been nicer about it.”

Glimmer has had a hard day.

She opens her arms expectantly.

“You were in the middle of something,” she informs him.

He flicks the shower back on, bathes them briefly in freezing cold water as he scrambles to get the temperature correct.

“Sorry,” he says.

Glimmer gestures again with her arms.

“Right,” he says, and—

Look.

Weird ex-Horde soldiers shouldn’t have like.

Exclusive rights on having sex in the shower.

Equality is important.

Fast forward.

They are lying down to sleep in Bow’s comically narrow childhood bed.

They have to squish up real tight which is just.

Tragic.

It means she has to have Bow all pressed to her chest, their legs all tangled together.

Just the biggest of tragedies.

Just as they are about to sleep when Bow’s phone rings again.

Glimmer groans.

“Ignore it.”

He doesn’t.

“It’s for you,” he says.

“Nope.”

“Queen,” Ariel’s voice, just so much thinner than it had been this morning echoes out of the speaker.

Glimmer gives in to Bow’s puppy dog eyes, and takes the tablet.

“What.”

“They’re sleeping in the courtyard with the fountain.”

“Cool.”

Glimmer hangs up, returns the tablet to Bow, lays back down.

He frowns at her and Glimmer pretends she doesn’t see it.

The tablet rings again.

Bow turns it towards her, answers again.

Glimmer sighs.

“They’re… masturbating,” Ariel says.

“Thanks for the update,” Glimmer says, not at all thankful, but when she tries to hang up, Bow’s finger intercepts hers.

She scowls at him.

He gives her a significant look.

“Adora and Catra are participating,” she says. “They’re still talking, and they’re so loud and—”

“Guard Captain Ariel,” Glimmer says.

Ariel falls silent.

“I order you to go home.”

Silence.

In the silence, Glimmer can hear the warped moans of just.

So many voices.

Just.

Singing in harmony.

Great.

“Some of the guards are still with them. They’re—”

“Our differences make us stronger.”

She meets Bow’s gaze, and he nods sagely.

“Our differences make us stronger,” he agrees.

The moans continue, and Bow once again catches Glimmer’s finger before she can hang up the call.

“But—”

“No,” Glimmer says. “Repeat after me. Our differences make us stronger.”

Silence.

Hesitation.

“Our differences make us stronger.”

“Good, go home, tell everyone else to go home, bye.”

When Bow catches her finger again, Glimmer teleports out of his grip, and hangs up the phone.

“Glimer,” he chastises.

“She’ll survive. She survived the war, I’m sure she can take this.”

He looks unconvinced, but Ariel doesn’t call back.

So like.

Clearly Glimmer was right.

Or Ariel is dead.

One of the two of those.

Glimmer’s pretty sure she’s not dead.

Fast forward.

It’s the next day.

Plus:

Ariel is still alive.

Minus:

Ariel looks like she hasn’t slept in ten years.

Glimmer teleports her to Castaspella’s hot springs, and then drops her into one, fully clothed.

“Queen’s orders,” Glimmer says, pointing a finger at her.

Ariel makes a face.

“Queen’s orders.”

Slowly, she nods.

“Yes, your majesty.”

“You did a great job, call me whenever you want to come back. Take as much time as you need.”

“I’d like to go back now?”

“Hah. No.”

Glimmer leaves.

They do the closing ceremony.

The guards and ex-Horde soldiers are no longer glaring at each other.

Some of them are blushing at each other though.

So that’s.

That’s a thing.

This was clearly Glimmer’s plan all along.

Make them all take a shower together.

Also, masturbate together.

Sleep together.

Fantastic success.

All as she planned.

Scorpia gives a speech about togetherness.

Very good.

Very queenly

Glimmer also gives a speech about togetherness.

She makes sure to work in a “Our differences make us stronger.”

Bow nods approvingly from the side of the stage.

Her father also nods, eyes still kind of vacant.

“We should do this again,” Scorpia says, smiling, after it’s all over, and Glimmer is in Scorpia’s throne room, after teleporting all of the Bright-Zonians back to the Bright Zone.

“Yes,” Glimmer agrees.

“I was thinking maybe in the Spring.”

“Excellent idea, I think I’ll be in Mystacor.”

With Bow.

And her father.

Nice little family outing.

Scorpia frowns.

“But. But I haven’t told you the date yet?”

And yet.

Glimmer is just.

So incredibly sure she will be in Mystacor.

“You’re right,” Glimmer agrees. “When are you thinking?”

“The third?”

“I’ll be having dinner with my aunt that night,” Glimmer says, nodding. “I can give the opening speech, but I’m afraid I just won’t be able to make the banquet.”

“We can change the date.”

“Too late,” Glimmer says, making vague motions towards… something. Somewhere. “Already set in stone. We already have all the preparations for the banquet.”

Scorpia looks awkwardly to the side.

Back at Glimmer.

“Okay?”

“I’m so glad we agree.”

Scorpia fidgets.

“I had a lot of fun,” Scorpia says. “It was so nice to see everyone getting along!”

Images of Scorpia and Perfuma’s naked bodies pressed together come to her mind, unbidden.

“It was so nice to see you and Perfuma,” Glimmer agrees.

Scorpia hesitates.

“Yeah!”

“We should hang out again sometime.”

Scorpia nods eagerly.

She grabs Glimmer up in a hug, and spins her.

Glimmer laughs, and her mind recalls for her exactly what the breasts that are currently pressed against her look like, while wet and naked.

(That will never go away.)


End file.
